Filed under: Microsoft

Filed under: Windows, Microsoft, Freeware, Social Software

Fishbowl is a kick-ass Facebook client for Windows 7

by Lee Mathews Nov 20th 2009

When Microsoft introduced us to Silverlight 4 the other day, the demoed a slick Facebook application. It's called Fishbowl, and it's now available for download. Not only does Fishbowl provide a nice, clean display of your stream (read: free of sidebar annoyances), but it's packed with excellent features, responsive, and extremely intuitive to use.

It's also ready to add some sizzle to your Windows 7 taskbar with jumplist and Aero Peek goodness. Read on after the break!

Tags: facebook, fishbowl, silverlight, windows 7, Windows7

Filed under: Internet, E-mail, Microsoft

Look out! Outlook wants to become your new social media and collaboration hub

by Sebastian Anthony Nov 18th 2009

It's been a long time coming, and perhaps a little too late, but you can now track your friends' and colleagues' social networking activity in Outlook 2010. Dubbed the 'Outlook Social Connector' (OSC), the functionality is available right now to all Office 2010 Beta testers.

The list of much-needed features that OSC brings to Outlook is long and juicy. 'Activity Feeds' is the new social media technology, collating the activities of your contacts into your Outlook screen. LinkedIn support is included in the current beta version, but there's no mention of anything like Twitter or Facebook support yet.

There's also neat functionality to show you all of the attachments sent between you and another contact, a communication history that shows you your recent emails with that contact, Next year, there will be added connectivity with Windows Live Messenger! There are numerous mentions of 'extensibility' and an easy-to-use developer kit, however, so I'm sure lots of other add-ons will emerge in due course.

For enterprise users there's even a SharePoint 2010 interface! Actually, does anyone really use Outlook outside the enterprise environment? Do social media 'gurus' use Outlook?

There's a little introductory video after the break, from the Outlook Team Blog!

Tags: collaboration, connectivity, outlook

Filed under: Microsoft, Beta

Hot on the heels of Flash 10.1, Microsoft unveils Silverlight 4 beta

by Lee Mathews Nov 18th 2009

Microsoft has been busy churning out news at PDC09, already having announced the arrival of Office 2010's public beta and Internet Explorer 9.

Not to be done by Adobe's recent unveiling of Flash 10.1, Microsoft has taken the wraps off Silverlight 4 beta. A few of the key changes in the new version include support for Google Chrome, performance gains up to 200% over Silverlight 3, and multi-touch support.

Silverlight's Deep Zoom has also been turbo-charged with hardware acceleration. v4 can also tap into your webcam and microphone, and local recording capabilities have been added. Microsoft hopes Silverlight 4 will allow developers to go beyond the browser and create rich desktop applications -- another salvo at the Adobe camp.

There are a slew of additions and enhancements aimed at developers, network administrators, and kiosk environments -- you can check a complete listing out in the offical release announcement.

Can't see the video embed in this post? You need to get your hands on the Silverlight plugin, I reckon. Runtimes are available for Windows and Mac here.

Tags: beta, browser, microsoft, plugin, silverlight

Filed under: Internet, Microsoft, Browsers

IE9 unveiled. Faster, more standards-compliant -- DirectX accelerated!

by Sebastian Anthony Nov 18th 2009

It's only three weeks into its development, but Internet Explorer 9 has officially been unveiled today at the Professional Developers Conference (PDC). In fact, as I write this now, they're still talking about IE9 and other tech advances over on the Microsoft PDC09 website.

Their goals with IE9 seem pretty obvious from the graphs shown in their presentation: faster, more standards-compliant website rendering. If you look at the slide above, lower is faster. And that's just three weeks into their development of a new browser and web rendering engine!

They're also including 'hardware accelerated' rendering using your graphics card using the DirectX D2D technology. Whether you're trying to perform funky stuff with CSS3, Javascript or DHTML, IE9 should render things a lot faster.

There's a big video (that requires Silverlight!) after the break. It explains and impressively-demonstrates the new DirectX D2D speed-up.

[via GeekSmack]

Tags: browser, directx, ie9, internet explorer, InternetExplorer

Filed under: Windows, Windows Mobile, Office, Microsoft, Beta

Office 2010 beta for Windows and Windows Mobile now live

by Jay Hathaway Nov 18th 2009

Microsoft has finally made downloads of Office 2010 beta available, for both Windows on your desktop and Windows Mobile 6.5. Project 2010, Visio 2010, and SharePoint Server 2010 are also available on the Office 2010 download page, and you can get the mobile version of Office via the Windows Mobile Marketplace. Microsoft says the portal for all things 2010 is http://www.microsoft.com/2010/, but the first live download links I've found are right here.

Because we apparently need social networking in every app these days, one of the things Microsoft is pushing about Office 2010 is the new Social Connector, which "brings communications history, business collaboration and social network feeds directly into Outlook, with support for Windows Live and SharePoint Server." LinkedIn has been announced as the first social network that will plug in to this new feature.

More on Office 2010 soon, as Microsoft is getting ready to demo it at their Professional Developers' Conference as I write this. Happy downloading!

Tags: microsoft, office, office 2010, Office2010, social connector, SocialConnector, windows mobile, WindowsMobile

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Microsoft, Freeware

Folder synchronization tool SyncToy hits version 2.1

by Brad Linder Nov 16th 2009

It feels like it's been years since Microsoft released SyncToy 2.0. That's probably because it has been. But when you have a utility that's dead simple to use that lets you synchronize files between two folders, hard drives, or other storage media, why bother updating it? But SyncToy 2.0 wasn't exactly perfect, so Microsoft recently pushed out version 2.1 which features a handful of bug fixes and improvements.

Like earlier versions, SyncToy 2.1 lets you create folder pairs and decide how data will be synchronized between those two folders. In Synchronize mode, when changes are made in one folder they'll be reflected in the other. If you add a file to folder A, it will be added to folder B. Delete one from B and it'll disappear from A.

Echo mode makes sure that folder B is always up to date with folder A. But if you make changes to folder B, they won't be reflected in the first folder.

In Contribute mode, files will copied from A to B and any files that are renamed in A will be renamed in B. But no files will be deleted. So if you delete a file from folder A it will still live on in B.

All three modes are pretty handy for making sure you have a backup of your important data. You can backup your files to a local drive or a shared network drive for safe keeping.

Probably the closest thing to a new feature in SyncToy 2.1 is the ability to backup your folder pair configurations. Microsoft also says that version 2.1 features better performance, faster copy speeds, and more resilience against network and file system errors. A few bugs have also been fixed, including one that could lead to data corruption when using NAS drives.

SyncToy 2.1 is available as a free download for Windows computers.

[via Lifehacker]

Tags: microsoft-synctoy-2.1, synchronization, synctoy, synctoy-2.1

Filed under: Windows Mobile, Microsoft, Mobile

Windows Marketplace now open for all (recent) Windows Mobile phones

by Brad Linder Nov 16th 2009

Have you been itching to download applications from the Windows Marketplace on your Windows Mobile smartphone, but been thwarted by the fact that your device runs Windows Mobile 6.0 or 6.1 instead of the shiny new WinMo 6.5? Well, fret no more. Microsoft is making its answer to the iPhone app store available for all phones running Windows Mobile 6.0 and up.

Sure, anyone stuck with an aging Windows Mobile 5.0 or earlier phone is stuck downloading and installing applications the old fashioned way -- by surfing the web to find programs and downloading either the CAB installer files or EXE files that can be installed from a PC using ActiveSync or Windows Mobile Device Center. And then you have to walk uphill 2 miles in the snow to school and back and you'll like it!

You can install the Marketplace application by visiting mp.windowsphone.com on your mobile browser to download the software. You can also enter your phone number on a web site using a desktop browser and Microsoft will send you a text message with a download link.

[via Windows Team Blog]

Tags: windos-marketplace-for-mobile, windows-marketplace, windows-mobile-6.0, windows-mobile-6.1, windows-mobile-6.5

Filed under: Office, Microsoft, Beta

Once again, Microsoft puts a download page live with no downloads to back it up

by Lee Mathews Nov 16th 2009

There's been plenty of buzz today about the Office 2010 public beta. Download links have gone live for Technet and MSDN subscribers, but as for the general public - they're left browsing yet another Microsoft tease.

Head over to the Office beta download page, and you'll see three links to chose from. Pick any one you like. The result's the same, a redirect to a page that says "Hey, Office 2010 beta is coming soon!" I guess that's fine, right? I mean, it's not like anyone clicking a download button would expect 1) direct access to a download or 2) a form they can fill out to get at the files.

Now, I don't run a big fancy website like Microsoft's, but is it really that hard to keep pages like this offline until the files are available?

The good news in this is that yes, the public beta is coming soon. It'd be nice if that landing page actually had "coming soon" buttons instead of shiny green "download" buttons. That seems like a distinction which is important to make.

As a bonus, it might save your servers having to deal with 12,000,000 page refresh requests.

Tags: beta, download, fail, office 2010, Office2010

Filed under: OS Updates, News, Microsoft

Windows 7 RTM "improved" activation bypassed by hackers

by Lee Mathews Nov 14th 2009

Earlier this year, Microsoft and Lenovo teamed up to tackle the first Windows 7 activation workaround. It was based upon a leaked OEM volume activation key, and was neutralized fairly quickly.

Things have been fairly quiet for a while. Microsoft's anti-piracy team had cooked up WAT - Windows Activation Technology - in hopes that it would prove more successful at thwarting unlicensed Windows use than its predecessor WGA. And so began the latest round of cat-and-mouse with pirates. "You've got a better activation system? We'll build a better crack," is how the game usually plays out.

It should come as no surprise, then, that there are two new activation bypass tools spreading like wildfire on the Internet. Called RemoveWAT and ChewWGA, the apps provide one-click patching of Windows 7 RTM installations.

Microsoft, of course, has promised a speedy response. Still, once a system is patched and a user shuts off Windows Update, there's really not much Microsoft can do - or is there? Maybe they know something we don't.

[via CNet]

Tags: activation, crack, hack, windows 7, windows-7, Windows7

Filed under: Office, Microsoft, Beta

Office 2010 Beta 2 download leaks to torrent trackers

by Lee Mathews Nov 13th 2009

It's been a little while since Microsoft had leaked bits distributed on torrent trackers by -- shall we say enthusiasts?

Everything is cyclical, though, so I wasn't totally surprised to find reports of the updated Beta 2 of Microsoft Office 2010 making a public appearance on one of the more popular torrent sites.
The torrent is labeled as build 14.0.4514.1009, which matches up with what some testers have already received directly from Redmond. It certainly looks like the real deal, though nothing is certain when you download from anyone other than the original source. NeoWin is also reporting that while a product key is required, technical preview keys seems to be working just fine.

The public beta is due to arrive sometime next week, though at this point it looks as though Microsoft will probably have no shortage of "unofficial testers" to gather send-a-smile data from.

[via NeoWin]

Tags: beta, leak, leaked, office 2010, Office2010, torrent

Filed under: Windows Mobile, Microsoft, Mobile, Web

Now you can browse Windows Mobile Marketplace on the web

by Brad Linder Nov 12th 2009

Want to know what kind of apps are available for Windows Mobile 6.5, but don't have a phone running the operating system yet? Or just want to look for apps on a screen with a resolution higher than 640 x 480? Microsoft has launched a web version of the Windows Marketplace.

Users can browse the web store without an account. If you sign in you can also purchase programs that will be installed on your mobile device wirelessly the next time you run the Windows Marketplace client on your mobile device.

One interesting feature is the ability to use the drop-down menu near the bottom of our page to change your locatino. SO if you want to see applications that are available in the Windows Marketplace for UK, Russian, Swiss, or Taiwanese users, you can do that.

[via Windows Team Blog]

Tags: app-store, windows-marketplace, windows-mobile, windows-mobile-6.5

Filed under: Fun, Games, Microsoft, Freeware

Tinker and Hold 'em coming to Games for Windows - for free!

by Lee Mathews Nov 11th 2009

Have you taken the time to poke around your Windows 7 start menu yet? If not, you may have missed the "More Games from Microsoft" entry under the Games folder.

Click the shortcut, and you'll be whisked away to a web page offering some additional games you can download. Right now there are three: Peggle, Ranch Rush, and Bumper Stars.

Two more titles are coming soon. Tinker (the awesome puzzler you can see in action in the video above) and Hold 'Em (for you poker fans out there) are set to be released in the very near future.

Now, this news isn't going to make all Windows users smile. It's probably going to rub some Vista Ultimate owners the wrong way - since Tinker and Hold 'Em were two of the oft-talked-about-and-rarely-seen Ultimate Extras.

[via Paul Thurrott]

Tags: games, hgg, hold em, HoldEm, tinker, ultimate extras, UltimateExtras

Filed under: Microsoft, Search

Bing rolls out new features, partnership with Wolfram Alpha

by Brad Linder Nov 11th 2009

Microsoft's Bing search engine is still pretty new. It just launched this summer. But the company is giving the site a minor facelift which includes improved local search results and a deal with Wolfram Alpha that allows Bing to answer some complex questions about math and health-related information.

It looks like the new features are coming in a phased rollout, because I can't seem to access them yet. But the Bing blog has a number of examples, showing the kind of results the search engine can nor provide thanks to Wolfram Alpha's computations. For example, if you search for "BMI Calculator," you'll get boxes to enter your height and weight and Bing will spit out your body mass index. If you ask it for nutritional information for steak or chicken, Bing will return a chart that looks a lot like the nutritional information that you find on food packaging in the US.

Microsoft is also merging MSN Vido and Bing, and adding features to Bing Maps such as the ability to change a route by dragging and dropping the lines on a map (which you can already can with Google Maps and Mapquest).

Tags: bing, bing maps, bing video, BingMaps, BingVideo, msn video, MsnVideo, wolfram alpha, WolframAlpha

Filed under: Games, Microsoft, Mobile

Zune HD software update brings 3D games, widescreen keyboard

by Brad Linder Nov 11th 2009

The Microsoft Zune HD is an intriguing device. It's a pretty good portable media player. It can handle 720p HD video in WMV and H.264 formats, and it has excellent audio quality. It even packs an HD radio tuner. And the NVIDIA Tegra chipset enable some pretty flashy (but still useful) graphics in the user interface.

And the Tegra procesor means the Zune HD can also handle some pretty slick games and other applications. Up until now, that meant a few games, a calculator, and a weather application. But now Microsoft has added a few new 3D games to the Zune Marketplace: Audio Surf: Tilt, PGR: Ferrari Edition, Checkers, Lucky Lanes Bowling, and Vans sk8: Pool Service. There's also a new Piano application.

The new games are pretty slick and really help demonstrate the power of the Zune HD platform. Unfortunately, it's still not much of a platform. There are over 100,000 apps in the iPhone app store. There are 15 in the Zune Marketplace.

Granted, all of the Zune apps are free (although you have to put up with a brief add for the Zune Pass music subscription before they start). But where are the third party apps? Where are the chat, Twitter, and Facebook clients? Or calendar and contacts applications? Heck, with the graphics capabilities on the Zune HD, where's Virtual Earth?

Anyway, the new applications should be available to anyone who updated their Zune HD to run version 4.3 of the Zune software. The update also brings a few other changes, including support for a larger virtual keyboard in landscape mode and an auto-suggest feature for text input.

You can check out my brief hands-on video with the new games after the break.

Tags: 3d games, 3dGames, zune, zune hd, ZuneHd

Filed under: Utilities, Microsoft, Open Source

Microsoft accused of poaching GPL code used in Windows 7 USB download tool

by Lee Mathews Nov 10th 2009

When I wrote up Microsoft's free tool to copy downloaded Windows 7 images to USB flash drives or burn then to DVD, I thought the app seemed like a great idea. After all, it provided student downloaders an easy way to get their cheapo upgrades copied onto install media.

Rafael Rivera was doing his usual Columbo routine on the MS tool's source when he found something in the code which struck him. A section relating to UDF handling appears to have been "borrowed" from ImageMaster - an open source project hosted on Microsoft's own CodePlex service. An by "appears" I mean Rivera's checks with the Reflector .Net code inspector set off the alarms.

As Rivera points out, it's not just the use of the code that is the issue here. It's also the fact that Microsoft has added their own licensing terms.

I'm sure there's some kind of saying about not doing something where you eat, and it certainly sounds like that's what Microsoft has done in this case. Innocent until proven guilty, of course - so we'll wait to see what Microsoft has to say in response in the coming days. For now, they've removed all links to the download tool.

If you're not too concerned with the hullabaloo over the code, you might still be able to find the download on some other sites. A little birdy told me MajorGeeks still has a copy...

Tags: code, gpl, microsoft, poach, violation

The World's Hardest Game 2.0 - Time Waster

So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do. Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game. The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...

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